Vinyl Princess

Vinyl Princess

What windows to fit and which local builder will fit them?

The windows you fit to your property are in part dictated to you by the style of property. If you are the proud owner of a lovely Georgian or Victorian property then you don't want to ruin it with extremely modern looking windows. In fact, with some listed properties you may be restricted in the type of window you can replace and you should check this before even starting to look at the different options available.

 

Equally, if you live in a sleek, modern loft apartment with lots of chrome and glass on display then old style wooden windows don't really fit in. Apart from these rather obvious, aesthetic considerations you still have to decide what material the windows should be made of, the type of glazing and who will fit them.

 

The majority of people nowadays choose vinyl window frames. These tend to more economic than other types of material, as well as being durable and efficient.  If you prefer the thought of wooden frames then a good compromise is to look at the range of wood effect vinyl windows now available, although it has to be admitted that even the wood effect vinyl windows don't achieve the lovely heritage look which real wooden windows offer. If you aren't happy with the compromise, or the planning regulations restrict you, then you should be aware that wooden windows probably won't last as long as vinyl ones. However, there are a few things you can do to extend their life, and proper maintenance including regular painting and waterproofing will help them last as long as possible.

 

Another point to consider is the type of glazing (single, double or triple) you choose. In general, I would always advise that you choose the highest level of glazing your budget permits. The difference in both heat and noise insulation is worth the extra you pay and you may even notice the saving on your heating bills in winter time.

 

Once you know what type of windows you plan to install then you just need to find a builder to do it for you. A simple online search will reveal that this is another area of life where the internet has made things so much easier for us. Searching for recommended tradesmen no longer involves interminable hours ploughing through phone books and making call after call.

 

You just have to post full details of the work you want done and then wait for registered, highly rated tradesmen to come back with their quote for the work. The best sites only offer your job to local tradesmen, so if you live in London then you will only get quotes from London builders. The site will include details of the previous jobs undertaken by the local builder you prefer, so you just have to confirm the contract with him and get the work started.

 

 

 

About the Author

The author is a Home improvement guru and works for a UK home improvement magazine. He has a very good knowledge about how to find a local builder online in the UK.

How do you store vinyl window stickers?

My daughter got this Disney Princess book for Christmas and it has 8 pages of vinyl stickers - dress up outfits and accessories for all of the princesses. It's not too difficult to put the dresses back on the original paper after using them but all of the other accessories may get lost. How do you normally store your vinyl stickers (window or otherwise) without them all getting bent or stuck together? Or does it even matter if they get bent?

My daughter is 5 by the way and it's a great gift but I want her to be able to keep the stickers for a while. I just don't know what to do with them when they aren't in use... any suggestions?

Same here with the zip lock bags, but I use wax paper in between the stickers so that they don't stick together when you try to take them out.

I take a sheet of wax paper, a little smaller than then the bag, and place several pieces of the stickers on it and then cover it with another piece of wax paper and layer it one on top of the other without having the stickers touching each other.

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